No shortage of clever iPhone camera hacks exist, but Scientific American found out that adding a drop of water on the lens of the camera creates a free magnifying glass and some cool effects.

The process is pretty simple. Place a drop of water on the phone's lens and carefully turn the device over. The suspended drop of water acts like a magnifying glass on the lens. Scientific American adds:

Larger, rounder droplets lead to higher magnification, and as the droplet evaporates and shrinks magnification decreases.

The liquid lens is jiggly and sensitive to vibrations. The phone should be placed on a stable platform for maximum clarity.

That second note is a big one. It's almost impossible to hold the phone with your hands and steady it enough to snap a picture. Still, it's not a bad little hack considering it's completely free and while the post talks about the iPhone specifically it should work on most camera phones. Hit up the post on Scientific American for a bunch of samples and a few more tips to using the water for a good effect.